Metanoia || Avatar: The Last Airbender

𝐱𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭

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❝ I finally figured out that not every crisis can be managed. As much as we want to keep ourselves safe, we can't protect ourselves from everything. If we want to embrace life, we also have to embrace chaos. ❞

Susan Elizabeth Phillips

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ZHAO RACED THROUGH THE CITY, his heart pounding, eyes wild with terror.

The Avatar was coming for him.

He needed to get away, because the only punishment awaiting him was the permanence of death – a death he was not willing to face. All of a sudden, a ball of fire flew past him and shattered one of the ice sculptures atop the walls.

Looking back, Zhao saw someone who was supposed to be dead.

"You're alive?" he whispered, face turning white with shock. Standing there was a teenager with bruises and cuts littering his face, clad in white clothing designed for stealth, dark shadows cast over his face.

Zuko's golden glare only deepened at Zhao's words. They were all he needed to launch forward, fist aflame.

"You tried to have me killed!"

Zhao leapt out of the away, pulling back into an unsteady stance hurriedly. Now they both balanced precariously atop the icy wall. Below, the furious Ocean spirit bled out into the sea, wreaking havoc amongst the Fire Nation warships.

"Yes, I did," Zhao began, the tremble in his voice quickly fading away, "you're the Blue Spirit, an enemy of the Fire Nation! You freed the Avatar!"

"I had no choice!" Zuko hissed back.

Fire bloomed from Zuko's fists and enveloped Zhao, though the lashing tendrils of flame were parted by the older man with ease. Zhao removed his smoking cloak resignedly, having resolved that he wouldn't be letting the boy leave alive.

"You should have chosen to accept your failure, your disgrace... at least then you could have lived!"

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Iroh gently took the Moon spirit's corpse from Shia's hands, and laid it gingerly in the water to see if it would respond. Despite the cool liquid lapping at its scales, the koi remained unmoving, still and limp as the war in the distance carried on.

"It's too late," Katara whispered, her eyes tearing up as she stared at the spirit regretfully. "It's dead."

They were all silent for a time, and Shia felt a small twinge of grief. What did this mean for the future? The moon... it was something she'd grown so used to seeing. To no longer take reassurance from its presence... to no longer be able to bend... would that mean her only connection to her father was now gone?

Iroh bowed his head. They all did – but then, the elderly man raised his eyes, which were wide with shock and awe as he looked at Yue. Shia looked at the younger girl curiously, wondering what it was that her mentor had realised.

"You have been touched by the Moon spirit," Iroh said softly, "some of its life is within you."

Yue opened her eyes, and Shia noticed that their startling hue was the only thing that possessed some vibrancy within the monochromatic landscape. A deep blue, like the ocean at night – the only blue Shia could see right now, due to the crimson that blanketed the world around her. Was this how the world looked, without the moon? Desolate?

"Yes," Yue replied quietly, "you're right. It gave me life... so maybe I can give it back."

Getting up, she moved to stand in front of Iroh; no, not in front of Iroh, but the koi that lay in his hands.